biscotti

i made these biscotti yesterday to include in my ususal cookie gift packages. while i usually make some sort of italian biscotti (a word used by italians to refer to all cookies, much like the english word biscuit) this is the first time i have made what the italians refer to as cantucci - the traditional long, dry, twice-baked biscuit. this recipe courtesy of mario batali is delicious and rather simple. remember not to fiddle too much with cooking times as cantucci become harder as they cool. happy holidays!

Ingredients
3-½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 large eggs
2 egg yolks plus one egg white, reserved
2 cups granulated sugar
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 tablespoons anisette or amaretto
1 tablespoon anise seed
6 cups coarsely chopped whole
almonds
1 tablespoon granulated sugar for glaze
Biscotti Pan. From Chicago Metallic’s commercial line of bakeware, designed specifically for biscotti baking.

Directions
Preheat the oven to 325°F. Lightly grease two heavy cookie sheets, or line with parchment paper.
In a medium-sized mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt and set aside.
In a large bowl, beat together the eggs and sugar until light, about 2 minutes; the mixture will look somewhat curdled. Beat in the vanilla, anisette or amaretto, and anise seed. Beat in the dry ingredients, then the chopped nuts.
Divide the dough into four portions. On a lightly floured board, shape each portion into a flat log, just about the length the cookie sheet. Place two rolls on each cookie sheet.
In a small bowl, beat the egg white with a fork until frothy. With a pastry brush, glaze each log with some egg white and sprinkle with granulated sugar. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until the logs are lightly golden brown, firm to the touch and just beginning to crack slightly.
Allow the logs to cool on the cookie sheet until cool to the touch, about 40 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 200°. With a serrated knife, slice the biscotti, slightly on the bias, into ½-inch slices. Lay the slices on the cookie sheets in single layer; Return the biscotti to the oven and cook for 20 more minutes, or until the biscotti are toasted and crisp
Store the biscotti in an airtight container. They will keep up to about 2 weeks.